Wonder when the last time your flight is canceled or delayed and you just got stuck and don’t know what to do?

Flights can be canceled due to many reasons such as irregular weather days or shortage of staff and any other technical issue. Whenever you fly, you might face some problems, but there is a little less price you pay for your endless pleasures and exploration. There are some things you can do even if your flight is canceled or delayed. When your flight is canceled, there is little advice given by travel guru Scott Keyes to rebook a flight and to ask for a refund.

Learn to know either your flight is canceled or delayed

First, airlines should give you a notification of delaying or canceling a flight through email, text, or through their apps if you’ve given them enough contact information. However, technical difficulties could result in communication errors. 

There are two ways to keep updated about flight cancellations or flight delays. The first one is to watch your flight details for hours and, if you are already at the airport, always look at the departure board for recent information.

You can check your flight details, and cancellations and delays of your flight through third party apps such as Flighty and Flight Aware.

Suppose your flight is canceled now how you Proceed 

Always keep in mind that if your flight is canceled it will be automatically rebook for the next available flight, but there is always a chance that it won’t happen or that the new flight won’t fit into your itinerary even if it does. See whether you can rebook a flight by going to the website of your airline.

 If not, give your airline a call or text. Although there may be lengthy waits, you frequently have the most flexibility when you speak with a customer support representative.

If you are at the airport, go to the airport desk to check and get airline assistance to find out about your flight cancellation.

Indeed, Keyes advises attempting both strategies simultaneously: “Take out your phone and get in line. Phone agents may assist in rearranging your accommodations just as much as gate agents, he adds. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; you may get through to an agent on the phone before you reach the front of the line at the airport.”

Remember to pick up your checked baggage as well. If you’ve already checked a bag for a postponed trip, ask an airline representative how to do so.

How to rebook your flight

Rebooking can be done over the phone, over text, or in person at an airport assistance desk. (It’s possible that some airlines can help via social media as well.) Remember that there may be very long response times, so make every effort to contact someone to find out which way is fastest.

Here’s a hot tip though. “The easiest way to get in touch with an airline quickly is to call their international phone lines,” Keyes explains. Consider American Airlines. Not only do they have their primary hotline in the United States, but they also have hotlines in Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, and numerous other countries.

 You will usually get through at a foreign office, and the agents there can manage your reservation just as well, even if 99 percent of American travelers call the main U.S. hotline and have to wait for a long time.”

How to Receive a Travel Credit, Refund, or Other Payment

The U.S. The Department of Transportation mandates that airlines “promptly” and automatically offer reimbursements for specific travel interruptions starting in April 2024.

 In the event that your flight from or within the United States is canceled or delayed, you now have a legal claim to a cash return. For domestic flights, delays must be at least three hours; for international flights, they must be at least six hours.

“You are entitled to a full cash refund under federal law if an airline cancels or significantly alters your flight. Time period,” says Keyes. It makes no difference if the ticket was non-refundable. It makes little difference if a worldwide pandemic or inclement weather caused it. If you decide not to proceed, you are entitled to a cash return and are not required to accept a flight credit or travel voucher.”

Airlines have a reputation for making it difficult for customers to get their money back, but as a result of this rule, they are now required to offer refunds automatically (no complicated paperwork buried deep within their websites) and in cash, not travel vouchers or credits. Refunds may also be due in the event of class downgrades, airport changes, or an increase in the number of connections.

Additionally, you will receive a refund for any additional add-on services you purchase that aren’t included on your trip as well as for luggage that is delayed by 12 hours or longer. These regulations only apply to flights that are going domestically or that are leaving the United States. A compensation rule known as EU 261 is in effect if you are traveling from within Europe.

“If you’re traveling in Europe, many delays or cancellations do entitle you to compensation up to 600 euros, in addition to keeping your flight,” Keyes writes.

Are Canceled Flights Avoidable?

Although it is impossible to completely prevent airline delays or cancellations, there is one technique to improve your chances of leaving on time: according to Keyes, “the earlier your flight, the better your odds.” “That’s because weather is generally better in the morning, and also because the plane is usually already at the airport, rather than arriving from elsewhere, and thus at risk if that inbound flight were to get canceled.”

Extra Advice for Flying

Whenever feasible, choose nonstop travel and avoid checking a bag. “If your flight gets canceled or you miss a connection, it’s easier to get re-accommodated if the airline doesn’t have to also locate and transport your checked bag to a new flight,” Keyes adds.